The City Guard's duty was to investigate foreign threats to Waterdeep and to protect the city against them.[1] Their duties included guarding the city's gates, important locations, and citizens.[5] City Guards could be found posted at Castle Waterdeep, Piergeron's Palace, the city walls, and its surrounding countryside.[2]

Around 1357 DR, soldiers of the City Guard wore yellow scale armor under green cloaks and tabards and carried a shield. Both tabard and shield bore the symbol of Waterdeep, a crescent moon reflected over a bay, surrounded by seven stars. They wielded longswords, daggers, and darts coated with a paralytic poison. On missions outside, they were also armed with bows.[1]

One day in the Year of the Prince, 1357 DR, a huntsman informed the City Guard of a magical tower erected within a single day, a full day's hard ride north of Waterdeep's Trollwall. A City Guard patrol, including Pern, investigated and attempted to scale the tower. Imgig Zu, master of the tower, animated his gargoyle minions to attack the guardsmen.[1]